By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our
Cookie Policy unless you have disabled them. You can change your Cookie Settings at any time but parts of our site will not function correctly without them.

Leaders of the Congress and 14 other opposition parties on Friday sought President Ram Nath Kovind's intervention for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation by an independent agency into the "suspicious" death of Judge B.H. Loya.

The leaders also submitted a memorandum to the President, saying that a FIR had not been registered on some earlier statements of Loya's family members who had talked about him facing "pressure".

"Loya's father and sister have revealed that he was being pressurised by none other than the then Chief Justice of Bombay High Court to render a decision in favour of the accused. In return, the deceased Judge was offered Rs 100 crore and a flat or land in Mumbai," the memorandum said.

"Such statements disclose the commission of a cognisable offence for which lodging of a FIR is mandatory, a procedure consistent with the law as laid down by the Supreme Court. For the Bombay High Court not to have done so is a matter of grave concern," it added.

It said that lawyer-activist Satish Uke had revealed that two of Judge Loya's "confidants" had subsequently died in mysterious circumstances.

"Shirkant Khandalkar, a public spirited lawyer in Nagpur, allegedly fell from a high-rise building in the district courts on November 29, 2015, and Prakash Thombre, a retired District Judge, allegedly died on May 16, 2016, after falling from an upper berth in a train."

"According to Uke, he had spoken to Judge Loya who also told him of the pressure being exerted on him to give a favourable verdict for the accused (in the Sohrabuddin case)," the leaders said, adding that "all this and relevant facts" are in the public domain.

The leaders said that if the lives of Judges and lawyers are jeopardised for doing their duty, then democracy is under grave threat.

"Recently, four most senior Puisne Judges of the Supreme Court also expressed the sentiment that (Indian) democracy is in peril," they said.

"What is required is a thorough investigation through an SIT of independent officers selected and monitored by the Supreme Court," the opposition MPs added.

"Such a procedure will restore the credibility of institutions in the eyes of the public. We sincerely hope you will use your good offices to serve the cause of justice," they said.

The leaders accused the BJP-led government of "constant assault on democratic values and traditions" and "wanton misuse of investigating agencies to silence political opponents".

Asked for the reason for approaching the President while the case is pending in the apex court, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said there is no investigation by the court. "What is going on is a Public Interest Litigation. These matters cannot be decided through a PIL," he said.